Yoke plate assembly for a mooring arrangement and mooring arrangement comprising such a yoke plate assembly

Abstract

A yoke plate assembly for mooring a floating object in a body of water by a pair mooring lines, includes an assembly plate mechanically coupling to an anchor body, an elongated yoke plate with a center thereof pivotally connected to the assembly plate by an articulation, a first lever arm having a first proximal end connected by a first coupler to a first end of the elongated yoke plate, a second lever arm having a second proximal end connected by a second coupler to a second end of the elongated yoke plate longitudinally opposite the first end. The first lever arm at a first distal end thereof is connectable by a first distal joint to one of the pair of mooring lines, and the second lever arm at a second distal end thereof is connectable by a second distal joint to the other of the pair of mooring lines.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A yoke plate assembly for mooring a floating object in a body of water by means of a pair of mooring lines, comprising:
 an assembly plate configured to be mechanically coupled to an anchor body; 
 an elongated yoke plate, a center thereof pivotally connected to the assembly plate by an articulation; 
 a first lever arm having a first proximal end connected by a first coupler to a first end of the elongated yoke plate; and 
 a second lever arm having a second proximal end connected by a second coupler to a second end of the elongated yoke plate longitudinally opposite to the first end, 
 wherein the first lever arm at a first distal end thereof is connectable by a first distal joint to one of the pair of mooring lines, 
 and the second lever arm at a second distal end thereof is connectable by a second distal joint to the other of the pair of mooring lines, wherein the first coupler is arranged as a first uni-joint between the first end of the elongated yoke plate and the first lever arm, 
 and the second coupler is arranged as a second uni-joint between the second end of the elongated yoke plate and the second lever arm. 
 
     
     
       2. The yoke plate assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the articulation is selected from a group consisting of: a one-axis joint, a two-axis joint, a gimbal joint, and a rotary joint. 
     
     
       3. The yoke plate assembly according to  claim 2 , wherein the first and second couplers are uni-joints with coplanar axes. 
     
     
       4. The yoke plate assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the first and second couplers are uni-joints with coplanar axes. 
     
     
       5. The yoke plate assembly according to  claim 4 , wherein the first and second lever arms each comprise a rod and a receptacle part for receiving and forming a disconnectable connection with the rod, each receptacle being connected to a respective one of the first and second couplers on the first end of the elongated yoke plate and the second end of the elongated yoke plate, respectively. 
     
     
       6. The yoke plate assembly according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a stopper mechanism that limits an inclination angle of the elongated yoke plate relative to a surface plane of the assembly plate up to a predetermined maximum angle value. 
 
     
     
       7. The yoke plate assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the yoke plate assembly is configured to have the yoke plate set under an inclination angle with respect to the floating object in such a manner that the articulation is tilted and the yoke plate aligned with the inclination of the mooring line. 
     
     
       8. The yoke plate according to of  claim 7 , wherein the inclination angle is not substantially vertical. 
     
     
       9. A method of mooring a floating object in a body of water by means of first and second mooring lines, comprising providing the yoke plate assembly in accordance with  claim 1 , providing the first and second mooring lines, connecting the first distal joint to the first mooring line, and connecting the second distal joint to the second mooring line. 
     
     
       10. The yoke plate assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the articulation is selected from a group consisting of: a one-axis joint, a two-axis joint, a gimbal joint, and a rotary joint. 
     
     
       11. A mooring arrangement for mooring a floating object in a body of water by means of at least a pair of mooring lines attached to the floating object, the arrangement comprising:
 an anchor body; and 
 a yoke plate assembly, the yoke plate assembly including an assembly plate for mechanically coupling to the anchor body, an elongated yoke plate with a center that is pivotally connected to the assembly plate by means of an articulation, 
 a first lever arm having a first proximal end connected by a first coupler to a first end of the elongated yoke plate, 
 a second lever arm having a second proximal end connected by a second coupler to a second end of the elongated yoke plate longitudinally opposite to the first end, 
 the first coupler arranged as a first uni-joint between the first end of the elongated yoke plate and the first lever arm, and 
 the second coupler arranged as a second uni-joint between the second end of the elongated yoke plate and the second lever arm, 
 wherein during mooring the first lever arm at a first distal end thereof is connected by a first distal joint to a first one of the pair of mooring lines, the second lever arm at a second distal end thereof is connected by a second distal joint to a second one of the pair of mooring lines, the yoke plate assembly is connected to the anchor body, and the anchor body is placed at a bed of the body of water. 
 
     
     
       12. The mooring arrangement according to  claim 11 , wherein during use each of the mooring lines is tensioned and taut. 
     
     
       13. A floating object configured to be moored to a bed of a body of water by a mooring arrangement, comprising:
 an anchor body; 
 a yoke plate assembly; and 
 a pair of mooring lines, 
 the yoke plate assembly including an assembly plate for mechanically coupling to the anchor body, 
 an elongated yoke plate with a center pivotally connected to the assembly plate by means of an articulation, 
 a first lever arm having a first proximal end connected by a first coupler to a first end of the elongated yoke plate, and 
 a second lever arm having a second proximal end connected by a second coupler to a second end of the elongated yoke plate longitudinally opposite to the first end, 
 wherein the first coupler is arranged as a first uni-joint between the first end of the elongated yoke plate and the first lever arm, 
 and the second coupler is arranged as a second uni-joint between the second end of the elongated yoke plate and the second lever arm, 
 the first lever arm at a first distal end thereof is connected by a first distal joint to a first one of the pair of mooring lines, 
 the second lever arm at a second distal end thereof is connected by a second distal joint to a second one of the pair of mooring lines, 
 the yoke plate assembly connected to the anchor body, 
 the anchor body placed at a bed of the body of water, 
 and the pair of mooring lines each attached to the floating object. 
 
     
     
       14. The floating object according to  claim 13 , wherein each of the mooring lines is tensioned and taut, and
 the floating object is at least partially submersed by the tensioned mooring lines, relative to a level of the floating object floating free. 
 
     
     
       15. The floating object according to  claim 13 , wherein the floating object is a tension leg platform (TLP) floating support structure wherein the pair of mooring lines form a tension leg of the floating support structure.